• Commonwealth Games

England clinch double 4x100m relay gold

October 12, 2010

Day Nine gallery

Mark Lewis-Francis produced a sparkling anchor leg as England came from nowhere to snatch Commonwealth gold in the men's 4x100m final.

Having just watched their female counterparts breeze to victory, the men took to the track against a backdrop of dropped batons and faulty changeovers at the European Championships. However, in Lewis-Francis and Marlon Devonish they had one half of the 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning Great Britain team, and the pair finished strongly to snatch victory from the Jamaicans.

Two mediocre changeovers saw Lewis-Francis receive the baton at least five yards behind the Jamaican leader, but he drew upon the confidence of his individual silver medal to eat up the ground, eventually clinching gold in a time of 38.74, marginally ahead of the Jamaican team who crossed the line in 38.79.

England's female sprinters also signed off from the 2010 Commonwealth Games by taking gold in rather more comfortable fashion. In a seriously impressive display, the English quartet transferred the baton around the track with simplicity to claim a comfortable victory over Ghana, who edged out India in a photo finish. The winning time of 44.19 was significantly better than their nearest rivals, with silver medallists Ghana coming home in a time of 45.24.

Katharine Endacott, who looks set to claim a silver medal in the women's 100m following the failed drugs test of Osayemi Oludamola, led the team off, before handing to Montell Douglas who streaked away down the back straight. Laura Turner, the 200m specialist, then ran a solid bend before Abi Oyepitan anchored her nation home.

"It's amazing. It's great to win gold. I haven't done a relay for six years. Going home with two medals is amazing," beamed Oyepitan when talking to the BBC. Endacott then added: "The guys were in great shape and I'll be more emotional on the podium than I was when I picked up the medal after the 100m."

India took gold in the women's 4x400m relay, but there was a bronze for England as Nadine Okyere overhauled Australia's Sally Pearson on the last leg to claim a medal.

The men's 4x400m team mirrored the efforts of the women, as Rob Tobin brought the team home in third behind Australia and Kenya.

There was another bronze for England in the athletics stadium, with Kate Dennison taking third behind Australia's Alana Boyd and Cyprus' Marianna Zachariadi.

On the badminton court, Nathan Robertson and Anthony Clark will bid for gold in the men's doubles following a 21-10 17-21 21-14 win over Singapore pair Chayut Triyachart and Zi Liang Dere Wong in the semi-finals.

Robertson will also go for gold in the mixed doubles as he and Jenny Wallwork are through to the final after they beat Malaysia in the last four. Roberton and Wallwork battled hard to claim a 19-21 21-12 23-21 victory over Chan Peng Soon and Liu Ying Goh.

Wallwork and Gabby White lost in the women's doubles semi to No. 1 seeds Shinta Mulia Sari and Lei Yao of Singapore.

Rajiv Ouseph held his nerve superbly in the singles, as he battled back from 16-12 down to beaty India's Parupalli Kashyap in the semi-finals of the men's singles.

Earlier on Tuesday, England's 16-year-old diving superstar Tom Daley picked up his maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal, fending off the Australians in the men's synchro platform. Daley competed alongside Max Brick early on Tuesday, and they proved to be a class above their rivals in a largely one-sided competition. Only Australia realistically had a chance of upsetting the English pair when it came to the final dives, but that challenge was quickly laid to rest.

Brick and Daley built an 11.52 point lead going into their final leap, although the Australians did put them under pressure by executing a high difficulty attempt on their last effort. However, Daley and Brick responded to extend their winning margin to 15.84 points.

"We did one of the hardest dives in our list but we pulled it off today and we got a massive personal best as well," Daley told BBC Sport. "We wanted to come here and do well and to get the gold was the icing on the cake. It's been a tough year with injuries and I've had so much physio that for it to pay off here is fantastic."

There was also gold for Scotland on Tuesday as Jen McIntosh claimed her second shooting triumph of the Games, winning the women's singles 50m rifle prone. McIntosh shot a quite superb 597/600 to finish ahead of Wales' Johanne Brekke, who took bronze.

McIntosh then relaxed as Neil Stirton and Jon Hammond raised Scotland's gold tally to six. The duo won the men's 50m rifle prone pairs event, increasing Hammond's personal medal tally to three. English duo Mick Gault and Iqbal Ubhi took bronze in the men's 25m standard pistol pairs.

The squash pairing of Jenny Duncalf and Laura Massaro, representing England in the women's doubles, are guaranteed at least a silver medal after they beat Australia in the semi-finals. England's men then repeated the feat against their Australian counterparts, booking a shot at the gold after Nick Matthew and Adrian Grant won 2-0.

Meanwhile, in the rugby Sevens, England were given a lesson by an exceptional New Zealand side, losing their semi-final 33-12. DJ Forbes touched down twice for the Kiwis, who went on to beat Australia 24-17 in a classic back-and-forth final, securing their fourth successive Commonwealth Sevens gold medal.

England later missed out on the bronze medal as South Africa came back from a 14-5 deficit to win 17-14 in the battle for the last place on the podium. Ben Ryan's men had earlier reached the last four with a tight 7-5 win against Samoa.

Wales' hopes were brought to an end by eventual winners New Zealand in the quarter-finals, the Kiwis winning 33-10 having led just 7-5 at half time. Scotland also fell at the same stage, losing 10-7 to the Springboks, before suffering a 34-0 thumping at the hands of Samoa in the plate final.

England's bid for hockey gold ended in heartbreak as they were beaten in a penalty shootout by host nation India.

England led 3-1 at one stage, but were pegged back and after two goalless periods of extra-time, India triumphed on penalties - with Glenn Kirkham seeing his shot saved by the Indian keeper.

India drew first blood following a scrappy set-piece move, but England moved level with the final action of the first half when Ashley Jackson stroked home a penalty corner. England took control of the match at the start of the second half, with Jackson arrowing a superb penalty corner into the net and Simon Mantell making it three one from another set-piece. India were roared on by the home fans in Delhi and Vikram Pillay and Saravanjit Singh turned their pressure into goals to level the scores. England were increasingly on the back foot as time ticked down, James Fair made a string of saves and they also cleared off the line as the match went to extra-time and penalites, and the hosts held their nerve the better in the shootout. England will play New Zealand for bronze.

And the titanic netball semi-final between Australia women and England went the way of the Southern Hemisphere nation, who eventually triumphed 51- 45. England had trailed by just a single score at 35-34 after the third quarter, but they faded at the death to fall short of the gold medal final, which will be contested by Australia and New Zealand. Bronze is up for grabs between England and Jamaica.

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